I took this picture on a beautiful spring day in the City. This is Hunnie's college. The place where he made the decision to pursue ministry. The place where he decided to stand up for his faith. The place where he made the decision to move to Las Vegas.... where one day he'd meet me, we'd have a couple of kids and move back to the area, adopt another, help lead a church, move a couple of times, go on countless dates, and one day end up in the vicinity for breakfast.
Hey, let's go walk on campus!- I say.
Why?
To remember.
Why?
Because this place shaped you. And there is so much to be thankful for.
Like what?
Like that no other girl snagged you while you where here 15 years ago, so then you could come and find me and sweep me off my feet!!
We don't know what the future holds. What if someone had told him that one day he'd be back there and his life would look like this? But, the beauty comes in remembering. Remembering the lessons learned. Remembering the friendships formed. Remembering how decisions shaped your future and how God already was preparing you for what would come.
I've been on this nostalgic kick lately. Since the beginning of 2015, I've been on a little bit of a pilgrimage of going places that I've lived and thanking God for every way His hang protected me and lead me. I drove around my hometown of Gardnerville thanking God for neighbors and teachers, for summer plays and birthdays at the park, and for the earliest prayers I'd say each summer at the little Lutheran church VBS. I drove around the neighborhood where I lived from 5th grade on in Vegas, passing by houses of best friends and first kisses, houses where I practiced the dance routines, made prank calls at sleepovers and houses where I cried with friends over tragedy. I saw houses where we had Young Life Club, and houses where I learned to use the internet (good ol' dial up AOL!) I thanked God for growing my love and knowledge of Him in this desert.
There is beauty in remembering and forgiving. There is beauty to see how old wounds have been healed over time. There is beauty in seeing how some prayers were unanswered, but now you can see why.
Hey, let's go walk on campus!- I say.
Why?
To remember.
Why?
Because this place shaped you. And there is so much to be thankful for.
Like what?
Like that no other girl snagged you while you where here 15 years ago, so then you could come and find me and sweep me off my feet!!
We don't know what the future holds. What if someone had told him that one day he'd be back there and his life would look like this? But, the beauty comes in remembering. Remembering the lessons learned. Remembering the friendships formed. Remembering how decisions shaped your future and how God already was preparing you for what would come.
I've been on this nostalgic kick lately. Since the beginning of 2015, I've been on a little bit of a pilgrimage of going places that I've lived and thanking God for every way His hang protected me and lead me. I drove around my hometown of Gardnerville thanking God for neighbors and teachers, for summer plays and birthdays at the park, and for the earliest prayers I'd say each summer at the little Lutheran church VBS. I drove around the neighborhood where I lived from 5th grade on in Vegas, passing by houses of best friends and first kisses, houses where I practiced the dance routines, made prank calls at sleepovers and houses where I cried with friends over tragedy. I saw houses where we had Young Life Club, and houses where I learned to use the internet (good ol' dial up AOL!) I thanked God for growing my love and knowledge of Him in this desert.
There is beauty in remembering and forgiving. There is beauty to see how old wounds have been healed over time. There is beauty in seeing how some prayers were unanswered, but now you can see why.